Clarification has been demanded from the Presidency over the whereabouts and health status of Patience, wife of President Goodluck Jonathan.
While the First Lady, Patience, is said to be hospitalised in a German hospital, the Presidency said “she was only away to take a moment’s rest given that she has not taken a rest since President Jonathan’s election last year”.
But in an interview with reporters in Ilorin on Sunday, the ACN National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, insisited that Nigerians had the right to know the true postion of the President’s wife.
Mohammed said, “She is the First Lady and as such there are certain duties she performs. Her wellbeing, to a large extent, is also the wellbeing of the nation, especially these days when the office is not just a glamour office; it packs a lot of power and influence.
“When our First Lady disappears from the radar, so to say, for several weeks and nobody can tell us precisely where she is and what she is doing, I think it is a shame to the whole country.
“I do not see anything strange or undignifying in saying that ‘the First Lady had food poison, we are to fly her abroad for treatment and we will keep you informed of her daily welfare.’
“That will elicit a lot of support and Nigerians had shown in the past that irrespective of what they think about their leaders, when their leaders in the past had health problems, there was this outpouring of emotions.
“I think the handling of this matter is wrong and we must tell our information managers that ministers, governors and presidents and their wives are no longer the property of a small clique.
“They showed that they have no respect for us. I think whoever is in charge of managing information should come out today and tell Nigerians precisely where our First Lady is and what is wrong with her.”
Mohammed said, “She is the First Lady and as such there are certain duties she performs. Her wellbeing, to a large extent, is also the wellbeing of the nation, especially these days when the office is not just a glamour office; it packs a lot of power and influence.
“When our First Lady disappears from the radar, so to say, for several weeks and nobody can tell us precisely where she is and what she is doing, I think it is a shame to the whole country.
“I do not see anything strange or undignifying in saying that ‘the First Lady had food poison, we are to fly her abroad for treatment and we will keep you informed of her daily welfare.’
“That will elicit a lot of support and Nigerians had shown in the past that irrespective of what they think about their leaders, when their leaders in the past had health problems, there was this outpouring of emotions.
“I think the handling of this matter is wrong and we must tell our information managers that ministers, governors and presidents and their wives are no longer the property of a small clique.
“They showed that they have no respect for us. I think whoever is in charge of managing information should come out today and tell Nigerians precisely where our First Lady is and what is wrong with her.”
No comments:
Post a Comment